Languido, Tabal Wins Milo Marathon Cebu 2012

Junel Languido and Mary Joy Tabal leads the Milo Marathon Cebu 2012 with about 50 more runners qualifying for the national finals in December. Read the full press release below.

Click here to view the complete Milo Marathon Cebu 2012 Results

Cebu City, October 7, 2012: A sea of green enveloped the streets of Cebu City once again, as a total of 21,697 runners pounded their feet on the pavement Sunday in the eleventh qualifying leg of the 36th MILO Marathon, marking the biggest regional leg of the competition this year. MILO regional organizer Ricky Ballesteros said that the race provides an excellent opportunity for the region’s athletes to show their wares in the national arena.

“The MILO Marathon has always been Cebu’s biggest and most celebrated sporting event of the year. The race does not only bring everyone – young and old, athlete and enthusiast – together for health and wellness, but also shines the spotlight on the region’s best athletes. Out of the multitude of runners we have out on the tracks today, some will strive harder and earn the honor of representing the region in the National Finals,” said Ricky Ballesteros, MILO regional organizer.

In the true spirit of victory, Junel Languido and Mary Joy Tabal took the challenging route head on and dominated contenders in the 21-k race men’s and women’s divisions respectively. Languido posted one of the best records in the 21-k division with a time of 1:11:56, while veteran campaigner Tabal finished swiftly with a clocking of 1:26:56.

Completing the top 3 cast in the men’s division are Mohammad Sherwin Managil who finished a far second in 1:14:46 and Bonifacio Monjas who finished third in 1:14:49. In the distaff side, Joeyry Lee posted 1:37:49 for second place, while Madelyn Carter stopped the clock at 1:44:41 for third place.

21-k men’s victor Languido is proof that dedication reaps several benefits. The Bukidnon native manages to devote 2-3 hours to his training everyday despite the physical stress of working as a banana harvester. “I work very hard to support my family, both as a worker and as a competitive runner. Running is something I truly enjoy, and I am very blessed to have been able to make my passion a source of livelihood,” said Languido. “I am genuinely happy when I run because it makes me believe in myself and in my capabilities. I want to be able to share this with my son when he is older. I really hope to inspire him to run through my accomplishments.”

Prior to his recent victory, Languido also won several regional MILO Marathon qualifying legs in the past few years and placed 3rd in the MILO Marathon National Finals in 2007.

23-year-old Tabal, who is a multi-time winner of the 21-k Bohol-Sandugo Panglao Half Marathon, was also ecstatic over her victory. She is set to prove herself once again against track rivals in the National Finals. “The next race will not only be about making the top ranks, but also about improving my status as an athlete in the country. I will be running alongside the Philippines’ finest and I’d like to set the pace and show a remarkable performance,” said the Visayan elite runner.

Tabal has excelled not only in the local scene but in the international arena as well with the world’s best runners. She adds this stellar victory to several others in the past, including her victory in the 2011 Adidas King of the Road Southeast Asia meet and her record-breaking feat in the Singapore Sundown Marathon where she emerged first among 28,000 female runners.

In the 10-k women’s category, German runner Beate Krecklow (41:52) detoured from her Philippine vacation to prove that downtime does not have to be spent idly. Not a stranger to the rigors of marathon running, 40-year-old Krecklow also won the Open Category run of the 16.8-k Mizuno Passion Wave Run race in Singapore last week. “I work as a psychologist, which means I spend most of my days at a desk. Running has become a wonderful escape from my work life. Running is my therapy. I am privileged and happy to be part of the MILO Marathon here,” she said.

In the school participation category, the University of Cebu marked a double victory, winning both the ‘Biggest Delegation’ and ‘Fastest Delegation’ plums with 2,244 runners and an accumulated time of 20:55.86.

A total of 50 runners led by Languido and Tabal have earned a trip to the 42-k National Finals on December 9. They will be competing against the strong contenders who qualified in previous regional legs.

After the Cebu eliminations leg, the next qualifying race will shift to Bacolod on October 14, and Iloilo City on October 28. The Mindanao leg will commence in General Santos on November 4, Davao City on November 11, Butuan City on November 18, and Cagayan de Oro City on November 25. The 36th MILO Marathon National Finals will be on December 9 at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds in Pasay City.

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